The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Now why hasn't anyone thought of this before?

An Australian company, Island Sky, has come up with an idea for a water-making machine that's positively brilliant.

The two key elements involved in making water from the air are: humidity and temperature. Island Sky® Water-Making Machines stand uniquely apart from other water generating appliances thanks to their revolutionary patented technology that draws more water from the air than any system on the market.

Island Sky® technology transforms available air humidity into great tasting drinking water by using vapor compression that increases the dynamics of condensing water vapor. Island Sky Water-Making Machines continuously simulates the “dew point” allowing water to be collected even in low humidity conditions. Air is drawn through a specially designed filter that removes dust and purifies the air. As water is condensed it is then collected in the water storage vessel and the entire water system is purified with OZONE which is EPA and FDA approved. In the final stage, the water passes through a high quality carbon filter, which enhances the water’s taste.

The idea is so simple it's positively ingenious. In any climate with humid air (which includes many parts of the world where people have little or no access to clean water), these machines simply extract moisture from the air and make it available. If it can be made to work on a large scale, and economically, it'll revolutionize the lives of such people - and save many of them from water-borne illnesses that currently kill thousands every year.

Even better, the small model can produce a gallon of clean drinking water for about 26c worth of electricity - the larger models should be in similar proportion. That should be relatively affordable, particularly if models for third-world use can be powered by solar panel arrays or other renewable energy sources.